Dreaming Reality
by lovely bloodcry
Summary: He saved her life but he couldn't save his own. Now he was still falling. Dying on looping effect. Waking up just to be caught in another nightmare. He seems to be running from more than just the things trying to kill him. What or who is that white figure?


Summary:

He saved her life but he couldn't save his own. Now he was still falling. Dying on looping effect. Waking up just to be caught in another nightmare. He seems to be running from more than just the things trying to kill him. What or who is that white figure? Steven just hopes the next time he opens his eyes that he'll be awake. Or awake enough to see the people that have gathered to see him.

 _Beep_

 _Beep_

 _Beep_

 _Beep_

 _"Mrs.-"_

 _"Call me Pearl." The lanky pale woman said trying to smile warmly. It came out wrong and twisted more close to a frown._

 _"Pearl it is then." The doctor said nodding. He was willing to do anything to lessen the blow that he was about to drop. He took a deep breath to settle his nerves. "The fall alone would have been enough to cause head damage. It was a far drop and he hit the surface of the water head first. The force knocked him out and his grip on his friend Connie loosened enough where her body floated back up and his sunk. Her wild movements kept her afloat. His brain injuries only worsened the further he sunk. If your wife hadn't gotten them out when she did in the next ten minutes." He took a shuddering breath. "We were able to bring him back for just a second but he slipped in a coma. The worst part is that the brain damage is irreversible. It's a very small chance that we can bring him back. If we are able to bring him back he will be a hundred percent dependable. Meaning-"_

 _"We know what it means." Garnet said speaking up for the first time since the doctor's arrival. Her wife was incapable of saying anything past her sobs. "We'll be making that choice later own today."_

 _The doctor quickly nodded. "Yes of course. If you need me or anything else you can press the call button and the nurse will come." He turned around and made his leave without waiting on a reply._

 _The two woman separated, putting as much space between each other as the room allowed and gave way to full body sobs. That's how Greg found them when he walked into his son's room. His tears soon joined theirs._

 _"Greg-"_

 _He held up a hand silencing Pearl's words. He didn't need to hear that there was nothing that could be done. He could see it for himself. He pulled up a chair next to the bed. Sitting down he prepared himself to spend the last couple of hours with his son._

* * *

 **Run**

 **Run**

 **Run**

 **Run**

Steven panted looking over his shoulder as he ran through a temple. The white shadow figure was still following him. Whatever was coming out of its mouth sounded like screeching. He shouldered the wall in his haste to make a quick turn.

"Fuck!" He grunted his feet slamming on the ground as he pushed himself faster. "Does this shit fucking end!" He shouted looking at three different tunnels in front of him. A crystal floated in the middle of the room. "Which way. Which way. Which way." He mumbled over and over again as he panted.

The screeching stopped and he jerked around. The white figure floated into the room. It floated towards him and he took a step back as his breath caught in his throat. It turned to the side instead walking along the wall of the open room. He followed it tripping over his own feet. Because he had his eyes trained on the thing he didn't notice that he had stepped closer to the crystal. The figure stopped in front of the three door ways.

Steven felt dread run through his body as a cold shudder. It launched towards him and he sprung back knocking into the crystal as he tried to turn. The crystal flipped upside down still floating. The figure started screeching again. His heart dropped down to his stomach when the floor beneath his feet disappeared and he was falling. He screamed as he fell through the darkness. The light above him slowly disappearing.

* * *

"Ahhhhhhhh...!" The scream ripped from his chest as his body thrashed around in his bed.

"Steven!" Amethyst yelled bursting through his room door. She fell tripping over Lion as the cat tried to get out of the room.

Peridot jumped over her and ran to Steven's side. She grabbed his hands trying to stop him from moving around. "Steven! Steven wake up! You're dreaming!"

Amethyst had pushed to her feet by the time Lapis had made it to the door. She quickly jumped on his moving body to hold him down as well.

Lapis cupped his cheeks. "Steven! Wake up!" She yelled. He was still fighting against them and screaming.

She grabbed the cup of the water on the table and threw it on his face. Steven woke with a gasp body arching off the bed before crashing back down to it. He gasped and panted blinking rapidly.

"Steven." Lapis said calmly cupping his cheeks again. "Can you hear him?" Her words were slow and firm and she hoped he caught on to them. "Steven." She begged as the teenager looked through her. That seemed to catch his attention.

"Lapis?" He questioned confused. His throat hurt from all the yelling and he felt the tears coming before his vision became blurry.

"Oh no dude." Amethyst said sadly as Steven curled in on himself.

They had no idea how scared Steven was of his night terrors. He would always tell them that he was fine but the last couple of days they've gotten worse. At least this time they didn't walk in and he was experiencing sleep paralysis.

"Steven do you want to talk about it?" Peridot asked softly as she ran her fingers through his curly hair.

It took a moment but he finally spoke. "No." The word trembled coming out of his mouth and he frowned. He hated how his body gave away feelings that he wanted to keep concealed. "Can we not tell my moms about this when they come pick me up? I don't want to worry him."

The three women looked at each other and Amethyst sighed loudly throwing up her hands. "Fine but you know they only want to help."

"I know." He said rubbing his face as they backed way to give him a little space. "But the pills rarely work so how can they help."

"Maybe they can talk to your doctor again see if there is anything else to try." Peridot tried.

Steven gave a dry laugh and waved what she said off. "Been there done that and we keep ending up here."

"Why don't you go take a shower? I'm sure you don't want to stay covered in sweat the rest of the night." Lapis joked as Peridot took her hand.

Steven laughed quietly and pulled at his damp shirt. "You're right." He threw the rest of his covers off and stood up on shaky legs. "Sorry about waking you guys up."

Amethyst waved him off as she followed her girlfriends out the door. "Don't worry."

He shook his head at her careless attitude. He knew that they were worried about him. Sighing he gathered his stuff and headed down the hall to the bathroom. He meet Lion in the hallway and apologized for scaring the cat so badly before slipping into the bathroom. He knew the hot water would clear his mind. The light flickered as he stripped off his close.

"Stupid light." He grumbled reaching up on the tip of his toes and tightened it. "I'll look at replacing you later." He climbed in and the cut the water on.

Most people would jump and flinch away from the cold water but he enjoyed it. Like the way the water took it's time to warm up. It reminded him of life in some way. Life starts out bad and gets better. How you just have to wait the rough times out for things to turn around. Some people run from that part and then try to run head first in to the brighter side. He wasn't like that. He stood strong and weathered it all.

He was washing his hair when the lights flickered again and he growled in frustration. The soap slipped on its little shelf and he huffed bending over and picking it up. Shampoo got in his eye in the process. He hissed trying to rub away the burn standing back up. He blinked a couple times then gasped as it cleared up. His back slammed against the shower wall and he was sure that he stopped breathing but his heart was the only thing he could hear. As he looked at the shower curtain he saw a dark body just standing there.

There was no way he was still asleep. There was no way. No words could get past the lump in his throat. Fear had already stopped all his movements and his mind went blank. The shower curtain was suddenly wrapped tightly around him and the shower head. The black figure was screeching now. He tried to thrash around as the small space between his head and the shower curtain started to fill up with water.

"Heeeeelllpp!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. "Help me!"

He spit of water until he couldn't any longer. The screeching was still ringing in his ears as he tried to tilt his head up so he could breathe through his nose. He was slammed back against the wall again and he gaged on the water pushing it out of his mouth. The screeching had stopped and there was nothing but silence. He held his breath as the water passed his nose and was working its way over his eyes.

There are puffs of air against his ear as he gasped for air but water filled the space instead. His body jerked as he choked and drowned.

"Come with me."

He heard the figure say into his ear before he slipped into darkness.

* * *

 _The room was quiet besides the beeping of his heart monitor._

 _"I think it's time we called everyone else. We've all had a little time to let this settle in." Pearl spoke. Two hours have passed since the doctor told them the news._

 _"I'll call my family later. They may be distant but I'm sure they will be able to make it." Greg said drawing in a shaky breath._

 _"Greg." Garnet said flexing her fingers. She wished to touch him and reassure him that he is in no way alone in pain. They all share the same pain right now. "You know that they are as much as your family as they are ours."_

 _Greg sniffed nodding. "I know that. Of course I'm no fool. I'm only homeless." He squeezed the hand on the bed that was closest to him. "It's just that he's my flesh and blood. He's MINE."_

 _The two looked away knowing what he meant. In Greg's heart his son was the last family he had left. He had left his family years ago and before Rose had died giving birth to their son she was his world._

 _"So I know that they're family but right now my family is on his death bed-" A wet gasp left his lips. "Right now I can't reach him. I can't bring him back. I can't do anything. So no. I don't have anyone to call or see or do anything besides sit here until they pull the plug on my son."_

 _Greg brought the teenagers hand to his forehead and cried some more. He wondered when the day would come when he wouldn't cry about this. Would it be months or years from now? Or would it be on his death bed because he knew they were going to be reunited after he took his own last breath. The two women didn't know what to say to that. They didn't think anything could be said after that. And if their hearts weren't already shattered then the scene before them would defiantly break them. They felt like they were invading their moment but they knew Greg wanted them their as much as they needed him here._

 _The teenager was as much his as he was theirs but they didn't lose everything like Greg had. They didn't lose themselves like he had either. Where he had nothing they had something. Where love came natural and easy for them. Greg no longer felt it and had to find it. He took care of his son as best he could for as long as he could before finally just accepting their help and letting them raise him when he just couldn't anymore. And it was no one's fault when he seemed to fail at something that should have come easy to him. He just lost his drive and no matter how much he fought to get it back. It became clear that it would be lost in the sea forever searching for the one garden that held his one rose._

* * *

Fingers snapped in front of his face and he finally registered that his name was being called.

"Steven?"

"Huh?" He asked turning to the source of the voice.

Jasper gave him a confused look. "You ok? You were spaced out for a long time." She asked concerned.

"Yeah sorry I was just thinking about..." He trailed off confused. He couldn't remember what was on he was thinking about.

Jasper rolled her eyes with a little huff. "That scatter brain of yours. I swear it's almost as bad as the other runts."

"Hey!" He cried and pushed her shoulder. Well he attempted but her large muscle frame didn't allow her to bulge. His frowned deepened and she noticed.

She laughed messing up his hair. "One day runt."

"I am not a runt!" He yelled glaring at her. "I am five foot nine now! I can't help that you are overly tall."

"Oh now I'm overly tall?" She questioned.

"I said what I said!" He said turning back to the t.v. "Um what's with the t.v?" He questioned. The screen was playing static.

"Did you switch it off the channel again?"

"Me you're the one that's been hogging the remote all night." Steven said flopping back against the couch.

"This is true." Jasper said trying to get the t.v to act right again.

"The cable must be acting up again." PD said walking in with her and Jaspers daughter Malachite. "Dinners ready by the way."

"I'll fix it after we eat then." Jasper said tilting her head up so PD could plant a kiss on her lips. PD smiled sweeping Jasper crazy hair out of her face.

Steven pretended to gag and Malachite giggled. "Sit next to me Uncle Steven." She said trying to pull him to the kitchen table faster.

"Sure no problem cutie." He said letting her do what she wanted.

"Mal what have we said about pulling on people?" Jasper asked as she followed them.

"Don't do." Mal sighed letting her Uncle go. "Sorry mama."

"It's ok sweetie you get that from your mom." Jasper told her as PD pulled out her chair for her.

"Hey!" Pink grumbled but she kissed her cheek. "You better be glad you're cute." She rolled her eyes at the way her wife batted her eye lashes at her.

"Awww you love me." Jasper said blowing her a kiss to annoy her some more.

Steven tuned them out and made funny faces at his niece. She giggled and made them right back.

"Alright you to. Eat so we can get a start on this movie marathon." Pink told them.

Everyone dug into the food that Pink had prepared. Steven was eating when he saw a light appear behind each of their heads. He watched in shock as the light grew in size but no bigger than their heads.

"Uncle Steven are you alright?" He turned his wide eyed stare to his niece.

"Y-Ye-Yeah." He swallowed hard.

"Steven really what's going on?"

Before he could answer Jasper there were hands on his face gripping it in place. His blood turned cold as he watched the looks on their faces twist into something that resembled horror and shock. He watched unable to make his body move. Unable to make his mouth work so he could warn them or say anything at all. He watched as clawed hands came from the light and gripped their faces. Jasper shot up in her seat, Pink tried to get to Mal, and poor Mal just sat there shaking as tears ran down her face. The hands snapped Jasper and Pink's neck before either could do anything.

A cry was trapped in his throat as he watched their bodies fall and bounce off the table and then slide to the floor. His eyes slowly traveled over to Mal who was looking at him. Pleading for him to do anything but his body wouldn't react. Wouldn't listen to him.

"Uncle Steven?"

Her neck was snapped and she fell forward onto her plate. He choked on his scream and his head was snapped to the left. Steven knows what werewolves look like. Everyone should have a since of what the fake creatures as supposed to look like. However standing in the den was not a werewolf but a werecat. A werelion to be exact. A werelion that had glowing white eyes that stared him down. Its mane glowed white as well and its hands were going through it where its neck should be. He could finally hear his panicked breathing drowning everything out as it pulled its' hands from out of its mane. His breath hitched because those were the same clawed hands that snapped the necks of the people he loves. Those were the same hands that were no longer holding him on place.

The werelion cocked its' head to the side as if it was watching him. Waiting for him to do something. Anything but the fear in him would not allow him to move just yet. He watched as it held one of its' huge clawed hands up. It waved its' fingers in a way that had more warning bells going off in his head. The fingers stilled and its' thumb went down. The chair underneath him screeched and fell over from the speed at which he stood up. He took one look at the table of dead people and tripped over his own feet heading for the back door in the kitchen.

He burst through it and stumbled off the porch. He looked to the cars and saw they hand been ripped apart. He turned back to the house and the thing was on the porch and it dropped another finger. He headed for woods because he knew them like the back of his hand. Or at least he thought he did. Because the only thing on his mind right now was that if that thing didn't kill him then his heart jumping out of his body would certainly do it because he didn't think he would have the energy to catch it. The woods were darker than they have ever been before.

There was no sound other than leaves and sticks crunching under his feet as he ran. A roar echoed through the land and he knew the hunt had started but the road was up ahead. He saw it through the trees and relief flooded him because maybe just maybe someone would come rolling down this road. Even though they were out in the country the road wasn't without someone on it every thirty minutes. He ran faster when he heard someone running after him. A bridge was up ahead and all he wanted to do was make it across it because there were headlights in the distance. He moved over to be more in the road and tried to push harder as he heard a growl behind him. It wasn't close enough to stop him.

In the very back of his mind the truth that he was being played with and wasn't going to make it through the night floated around. He was about to step on the bridge and the car was close enough that he knew they would see him. He looked over his shoulder to see how close that thing was. To see if he could make it to the car without it catching him. There was nothing behind him as he ran on to the bridge. His confusion lasted for a split second as he turned back around. The creature was in front of him and he was back handed off the bridge before another thought crossed his mind.

He heard the car that he was running to crash right as he hit the water. He screamed as he tried to get up. His arm felt broken and his foot was not moving. If he didn't get up then he was going to be killed. He was going to end up like his family. He was going to end up like whoever was in that car.

A splash behind him along with a low growl. He tried to get up. He really did but he knew that it would be pointless. He cried out frustrated and smacked at the water in his helplessness. Something glowed a couple feet from him and he looked up. A white figure was there slowly making its' way to him. Steven tried to change the direction that he was trying to crawl but he was trapped between these two things either way. He heard the water splashing behind him as the creature started after him. He cried and screamed but his body barely moved.

The white figure started screeching and the werelion grabbed his ankle. He was dragged back and he tried to kick at it with his good leg. The werelion stomped down on it breaking it in two. He screamed body flopping in the water. His head was grabbed and he was lifted to be face to face with his hunter. He was silent as he looked into the brown eyes of the creature. Over its' shoulder he saw the white figure with its arm stretched out towards him. A growl sounded in his captor's throat and he saw nothing but two rows of teeth. His eyes turned back to the white figure who was much closer now. Close enough that it could wipe a tear off his face right before powerful jaws ripped into his throat. The last thing he saw was glowing white eyes of the creature.

* * *

 _Connie was the first to arrive at the room. She left her parents out in the waiting room. They've never been a big fan of he's so she wasn't going to let them come in the room and start now Tears were already running down her face as she stepped into the room._

 _"I'm sorry." She said reaching him and taking the hand his father wasn't holding._

 _"Connie you can't blame yourself." Garnet told her._

 _"I was the one who wanted to talk." She said shaking her head. "If I would have just kept quiet then maybe he wouldn't be laying here right now."_

 _"Maybe that's true." Pearl said making everyone but the teenage girl look at her in shock. "But it isn't either of you guys fault that the cliff collapsed. It isn't your fault that you wanted to talk because I'm guessing the two of you were having relationship problems. But you wouldn't have been happy if you kept it in and this happened anyway. You wouldn't be happy if he was laying here and you hadn't told him. Because I'm pretty sure that no matter what you two talked about that it was worked out in the end. That he respected what you had to say and your decisions and still loved you afterwards. Because if he would have been laying there without fully understanding your feelings you would be standing here regretting your decision to keep quiet."_

 _Connie held his squeezed his hand leaning over and crying into his chest. She loved him with all of her heart. What Pearl said was true but she would still give anything to have him up and walking around. Talking about some crazy adventure which was really a date that the two of them could go on the next day._

 _"Still I am sorry that I turned down swimming lessons. Maybe if I had took them I would have been able to save him a little faster. We probably wouldn't have been able to say goodbye if Garnet hadn't been out for her nightly run and seen the cliff collapse." She smiled softly at the dark skinned mother of his. Garnet returned it with a weak nod._

 _"What now?" Connie asked voice cracking as she tried to hold it together._

 _They all knew what was next._

 _"We're going to wait for everyone to show up and then we're going to let him go." Greg whispered._

* * *

Steven walked along the beach staring at the ocean as he waited for Connie. Things had gotten a little rocky between them since he had up and left a week ago without telling anyone to help out his friend Lars. Now he was back and they had barely spoken a word to each other and sent one or two text messages. Head lights danced across the water and he knew she had arrived.

He smiled and looked up the small hill to the parking lot. His smile grew as she put her long hair in a ponytail. She always complains about how it gets everywhere and that she'll cut it soon but she never does. He can't count all the times he caught her brushing it out and them twisting it up all while she sung to herself. She smiled weakly at him having caught him staring. His heart fumbled because that wasn't the smile reserved just for him. That wasn't the smile that had her eyes shining and teeth showing. That wasn't even the smile she used to barely hold back her excitement.

No that was the smile she used when her science project didn't get the recognition she knew it deserved because it was just a little unstable and zapped her teachers leg. It was the smile she used to except her third place ribbon. It was the smile she used when her parents didn't listen to her but she agreed anyway. It was the smile she used when the coffee shop ran out of her favorite hot chocolate and she had to settle for coffee. It was the smile she used when she remembered the library was closed on Sundays and she had to do something else. But now it was the smile she gave to him and Steven was losing hope. Losing hope that he would be able to fix this. That he would be able to fix them.

"Hi." Connie said holding herself coming to stop in front of him.

"Hi." He said back.

He was so tempted to wrap his arms around her. Breathe in her sweet sent and feel her hair tickle his nose. He would kiss her head and tell her loved her. Right now though he didn't know if he came closer it would be welcomed. He looked in her eyes and saw she was thinking the same thing. They looked away to the water.

"You've been gone a week." She said breaking the silence.

"And boy what a week it was. Lars went to pick up these girls from the border that he had been in touch with since he was younger. It was crazy. I drove for fifteen hours straight and then he drove the rest of the way. I woke up and the police was chasing us. Apparently he didn't know that the spot he was picking them up from was kind of illegal. We got away though and brought them to a check in point. I had to talk us out of going to prison." He laughed rubbing his neck as he remembered.

"Sounds like you had fun." Connie said eyes never leaving the ocean.

"Connie?" He asked looking at her worriedly.

Connie shook her head but squared her shoulders before looking at him. "You disappeared without a trace! You didn't even feel the need to let your girlfriend know that you were leaving! You just told your moms that you were going to help a friend and that you would be back in a couple of days! I've been worried sick about you and you're acting like nothing is wrong! We're supposed to be a team but you're always going off and doing stuff without including me until after it's over!"

"But Lars wanted me to keep quiet about it! And it turned out dangerous so it's good that you didn't go!" He tried to reason with her.

"You could have just told me that you were leaving! And just because it turned out dangerous something you didn't know until it was happening! Somehow that makes it ok for you to be there when dangerous things are going down?! You can't stop me from doing dangerous things so you might as well stop. If you can throw yourself into something then I can to! And what if you had went to prison because this was something serious! All to help a friend out who by the way just uses you whenever he wants something! He doesn't give two shits about you until he needs something but you and your heart of gold just go along with it anyway!"

"So what if they had the necessary papers they should have done it the right way! Did you ever think what I would be going through or your moms or you dad or your family if you were sitting in prison right now and we had to find out from the t.v?! Do you know how that would destroy me?! Us?! No one knew where you were and we could have thought you were dead but no you're just on your way to prison!" Connie had screamed it all and Steven was stuck standing there just staring at her.

Usually one of her rants would have him standing there with a stupid smile stuck on his face and he would tell her that she was beautiful and a wonder to the world and that he was lucky to have her in his life. Then he would get back on track with whatever they were talking about. But this time he really looked at his girlfriend of four years and really saw her in that moment. He knew that he had hurt her the most that she could take. They both usually had blame in their previous arguments but right now as he watched her wiped her face of the tears that had fallen. He knew that this one was all on him.

"I'm sorry." He said at a loss of what to say back.

She laughed dryly shaking her head. "You're always sorry Steven but so am I." She whispered. The water crashing against itself was the only noise on the beach between them. "I think we need a break. We've been together for a while. I think we need time apart to see if this is what we really what. If we can be what each other needs for the rest of our lives. I've been telling you this since I was twelve and you were fourteen. I look for people who are in it for the long run. And sometimes it doesn't feels like you are in the race with me anymore. Like you fall out and then get back in when you're ready and it's not your fault. It's just who you are and this is who I am. I'm not the girl who can keep running by herself. I'm not the girl who keeps waiting for you to run back to me."

He refused to let his on tears bother him. He ignored them and watched the person he loved walk away from him. "I-" He swallowed hard around the lump in his throat. "I love you."

Connie turned around and smiled at him like she always does and it broke him. "I love you to. All or nothing."

"All or nothing." He repeated.

She walked backwards a couple more feet before turning back around. He watched as she wiped her face once more and get back into her truck. He waved her off and he couldn't tell if she returned it or not because the headlights came on. He turned back to the ocean and sighed. Slowly he made his way back to his car. He wasn't ready to go back home. He didn't feel like being in a house full of love right now. It would feel like a slap in the face. Looking at his keys, his birth mothers garden key caught his eye. It was given to him as a gift from his dad on his eighteenth birthday. Cracking up the car he made up his mind.

No one would be there the garden to hear him cry. He could see the top of the hill from the parking lot. His mind filled with the only person that has every occupied his mind and heart at the same time. The only person to make him feel not so alone in the world. When they were together he felt like he could do anything and standing out wasn't so bad. And now he was stuck wondering if he was going to get to keep this true happiness.

The engine revving caught his attention. It jerked forward and sped up the road. He tried to break but nothing happened besides the brake pedal slamming to the floor. A robotic laugh came from the passenger seat. A floating sphere with three pole things were sticking out of it.

"W-What the hell?!"

It laughed again and then disappeared into the dashboard. The car doors locked and his seatbelt came unbuckled.

"What the fuck!" He yelled trying to get his seat beat back on as the car raced up the hill. "Let me out!" He screamed as he tried the door. He moved out the seat and started kicking at the window. The car swerved zig zagging up the road. "Help!" He screamed but the radio was turned up and drowned it out.

The robotic laughter was as clear as the night sky though. He ducked tucking his body over the armrest as they ran through the garden gate. Glass rained down on his body. He screamed and cried into the passenger seat. He sat up body jerking from side to side as the car destroyed the garden. Running over or through different plants. The tires screeched as they did a donut around the fountain. He sat numbly as the car laughed. He wondered how he ended up in this place. The car came back around and headed to the cliff.

He looked to passenger seat when a white light appeared. He was met with a white figure in its place. It was talking but he couldn't make out the words. All hear could here was it screeching and the robotic laugher as the car crashed into the steel enforced wall. He went sailing breaking through the rest of the windshield. Everything slowed down as he sunk closing his eyes. At least he told the love of his life that he loved her. He crashed into the first rock ledge head cracking opening. He died right away but his body continued to bounce off the rocks on the way down.

* * *

 _BD and YD were the next two to walk into the room. It was easier to leave your job when you were the ones in charge. Their wives BP and YP rushed into the room after them. Everyone looked at them like they had grew another head._

 _"The cab was to slow and we were four blocks away in traffic." YP explained shrugging as she pulled herself together._

 _Pearl smiled and went over and hugged her sisters. "Thank you both for rushing over."_

 _"Don't say that. You know we would move heaven and hell to get to him." Blue said squeezing her sister's hand._

 _"How is he?" YP asked attentively. Pearl looked over at the bed were her baby boy was resting and looked away. She shook her head and blinked away tears._

 _"Oh Pearl." BP said pulling her into their arms again._

 _"How are you holding up?" BD asked Garnet. They watched as YD went over and whispered to Greg and Connie._

 _"I pulled him out of water. I gave him CPR." Garnet said words trembling. "I called 911 because Connie couldn't stop sobbing into his chest." She took a breath. "I knew." She looked away from the look BD gave her after she said that. "I told the nurse to give us the biggest room they had. I told her I would pay for however much it cost. You should have seen the look she gave me before asking why. I told her we're going to need it to say goodbye." BD pulled her into her arms and Garnet buried her face in to her shoulder._

* * *

"Are you sure I should have snuck out of the house to go to this party?" Steven asked as he walked down the side walk with Jenny, Buck, and Sour Cream. "It's going to be all older people."

"Dude we're not much older than you! Only like by four or five years." Sour cream said waving his arms around in some weird dance Steven seen the other night in a video.

"But adults do adult things at adult parties." He stressed as they started to hear music blasting.

"Stop talking like you're not an adult." Jenny said pushing his shoulder.

"I'm a baby adult." Steven said jumping off the sidewalk to make their way across the street.

Buck laughed throwing his arm over Jenny's shoulders. "We're all baby adults." He said.

"Whose party is this anyway?" Steven asked as they walked through the crowds of people in the street and in other people's yards.

"I don't know some girl that just got in town like a month ago." Sour cream said shrugging. "I never miss out of the chance to party even if it is a stranger's party."

"A mystery girl party." Buck said with a smirk.

"Besides you're only a little bum because Connie couldn't make it. She told us to make sure you have fun and you're going to at least try." Jenny said.

Steven rolled his eyes as they passed him a beer. He wasn't old enough to drink but what was it to live a little. They stepped in and easily flowed to the dance floor. They joined the rest of the bodies mingling together and laughing. The outside world was a thing for tomorrow as they lost themselves in the music and their wild moves. After a while he let them dance by themselves. He smiled as Jenny tugged her boyfriends closer and they rocked together.

He grabbed another beer and made his way upstairs. He needed a minute to calm down before rejoining the sea of people. He walked by a few people chatting in the hallway.

"This is a pretty big house." He said turning the corner and walking to a sun room. There were a couple people already there looking outside the glass panels.

"I said the same thing when I first stepped into it." A woman said coming to stand next to him.

"How do you think the people afford this?" He asked gesturing with his beer.

"Hmmm rich parents." She nodded. He laughed.

"You could never go wrong with the rich parents answer." He said.

"Yeah well I fall under the group of people who wish they had enough money to afford something like this."

He laughed again and held out his hand. "Steven Universe."

"Universe huh? Are you as big and vase as your last name?" She asked shaking his hand.

"I can only try to be as big as it." He said smiling.

"I'm S by the way." She said returning the smile.

"That's all? Your parents didn't feeling like giving you anymore letters?" He asked in mock seriousness.

"All the cool people have one letter names." She joked.

"Can't argue you there." He said shaking his head. "So how did you find out about this party?"

"Weeeeeelllllll..." She drawled rocking her hips from side to side and he pushed at her shoulder. She giggled. "This is my house."

He gaped at her. "This is your house?"

"Yes." She said rolling her eyes playfully before giving him a serious look. "What party?"

He frowned giving her an incredulous look. "What party? The one that's happening right now in your house." He said gesturing around with his hands.

The house was silent. He looked around and they were the only two in the sun room. Whirling around her he looked for where the other people could have been. He wondered why the music stopped.

"What are you looking for?" She asked watching him run back over to the window.

"I'm looking for the people who were just in this room with us, the people who were just in your backyard, the music that was just playing-"

"There's no one here but us." She said giving him a confused look.

"No one..." He took one step back "else..." and another "here?" He turned and ran around the corner. The hallway was empty and there was still no music. He ran down the steps and jumped over the railing. The house was empty. "Jenny! Buck! Sour cream!" He shouted running through the house. "You guys!" He yelled again running into different rooms. "This isn't funny anymore! Come out!"

"Steven!" He froze and looked towards the basement stairs. S was standing there looking put off. "It's just the two of us here. Remember?" She asked coming down the stairs and he stepped back closer to the sliding glass doors. "My parents invited you over so we could get to know each other better. We are neighbors after all."

Her smile wasn't right anymore. It sent chills down his spine and without waiting for her to say another word he ran right through the glass doors in his panic. He paid the stinging in his arm no mind as he ran to the front of the house. No one was outside. No cars. Nothing just houses and street lights.

"Buck! Jenny! Sour cream!" He yelled again.

A motorcycle roared behind him. "Oh Steven didn't you understand me?" S's voice sent a chill through his body and he turned around. She was leaning over the handle bars swinging a bat. She had a helmet on but he knew it was her. "It's just the two of us."

He turned and took off through someone's yard. The motorcycle roared to life behind him. He went to turn around a house but the bat caught the back of his head he fly forward only to be knock backwards by the bat being broken across his face. He fell on the ground his face split open. A white figure was suddenly above him. He could see it clearly with his diming vision. It cupped his cheeks and kissed his forehead.

The front tired slammed down on his head wheel turning and his flesh splaying all over the grass and getting in the tires gears.

"Just the two of us Steven."

* * *

 _Peridot came in followed by her two girlfriends. She was panting and all three of them were soaking wet._

 _"It's raining." Lapis explained. The other two were shivering but it didn't bother her. She walked right over to the bed. She leaned over Connie and kissed his head. Raising up she gently stroked Connie's head and smiled Greg._

 _"Of course it would be raining on the day the heavens ask for our baby back." Pearl said from where she was wrapped up in her wife's arms._

 _"There's really no way out of this for the little man?" Amethyst asked squeezing Peridots hand a little too hard but the other woman didn't seem to mind._

 _"No this is it." Greg said quietly._

 _"This isn't fair." Peridot said not able to look away from the bed. YP took her other hand._

 _"Nothing about him was fair. He was too good for this world and they're just taking him back until the world is right for him." Lapis said and the silence returned to the room full of people._

* * *

Steven woke up dizzy and after a few more minutes he realized that he was spinning. He was bolted to the spinning disk by metal bands around his neck, wrists, and ankles.

"H-H-Hello?!" He called out. All the spinning was making him sick. Something landed next to his side and he looked down and screamed. There was a butcher knife sticking next to his side. His head thumped back down against the huge disk. "Help!" He screamed and an axe landed next to his left knee.

He screamed arching and jerking against his restraints. Someone sighed and he gasped. Heels clicked against the floor as someone walked closer to him. He was rotated upright and saw a woman in an eye patch looking him over. She was dressed in a sexy show girl custom with black gloves and black heels.

"Hey there champ." She said smiling at him politely.

"W-Wh-Who are y-you?" His whispered breath catching in his throat as she reached out and stroked his cheek.

"The names Crazy Lace sweetie." She said eyeing the small cut the axe made by his kneecap.

"Why am I here? Where's my family? Wh-"

"Boy you sure do talk a lot honey." She said cutting him off. He clamped his mouth shut and looked at her eyes. They weren't as kind as the smile painted on her face. "You're here for entertainment for my girl Biggs."

She stepped out of the way and in the back there was a woman in a suit smoking a cigarette sitting in a chair. There was a drink next to her on a table. But his eyes soon fell to the floor where several weapons where laid out.

"You see Biggs likes screamers but I'm person with quieter taste." She trailed off unfolding a rag from her hand with a flick of the wrist. "You see we brought you here to play a little game and you looked like you would be the perfect candidate. I'm going to keep throwing these weapons at you and if you live through it like I think you will then you get a special prize." She said stuff the rag in his mouth. "If you spit this out then I'll slit your throat on the spot. So try to stay alive a little longer. Kay champ."

He flinched away when she went to pat his cheek. She laughed loudly making her way back across the room. He watched her pick up an ice pick and turn to Biggs.

Biggs pulled her close and kissed her. "Make this one count honey."

Crazy Lace smiled wickedly and licked the ice pick as Steven started spinning again. "Yes ma'am." She giggled.

Steven screamed around the rag in his mouth and his body jerked as the ice pick landed in his hip. A tuning fork landed in his arm, a letter opener in his chest, a saw blade in his shoulder, a knife in his thigh, another in his hand, another saw blade in shin, a butcher knife cut his cheek open and cut his ear, another butcher knife in his other thigh...

The weapons came fast one by one but the wait was no longer than five minutes between each throw. The spinning combined with losing blood and the pain had him seeing black spots and fighting the dark slumber off. Someone moaned and he picked his slumped over head up to see. Biggs was behind Crazy Lace and squeezing her breast.

"He looks so good baby." She said licking up her neck and nipping at her ear. "He stayed awake so don't you think it's time we gave him his surprise?"

"Y-Yeah." Crazy Lace moaned as Biggs hands traveled down between her legs.

They walked up to him not letting each other go and with each step Steven wished he had already died.

"Do it baby." Biggs said kissing her shoulder and undoing her pants.

Crazy Lace whimpered because Bigg's other hand was still between her legs working her up. She ripped a knife from out of the bend of his elbow. He grunted and panted heavily with the new type of searing pain. He watched horrified as they both licked the knife clean of his blood and then kissed each other. Crazy Lace was more flushed than she was when the kiss ended and Biggs eyes sparkled too much. Crazy Lace sliced against his abdomen and he choked on a scream and more tears leaked from his tired eyes. She dropped the knife with a moan. One of her hands snaked its way into Biggs pants and the other entered Steven's body. He screamed jerking and trying to arch away from the other hand that entered him.

"He feels amazing." Crazy Lace moaned.

She pulled out one of his intestines and Biggs pulled out her own section. Steven silently screamed choking on the pain that coursed throughout his body. The two woman brought up their prizes and rubbed them against each other as they kissed.

"Harder." Crazy Lace moaned licking the blood off Bigg's cheek.

"Like this baby?" Biggs smirked and Crazy Lace screamed arching into her.

"Not fair." Crazy Lace groaned working even harder to bring her lover over the edge with her.

Steven watched panting and sucking in as much air as he could through his nose. The two lovers dropped their pieces of Steven's insides and embraced each other fully. They came together with his blood smeared over their bodies. Crazy Lace giggled as Biggs peppered kisses on her cheek as they watched Steven's broken form.

"Your prize was-" Crazy Lace whipped a gun out of Biggs holster. Steven saw a white figure pick up his intestines and try to put them back in his body. "death."

She fired and the bullet tore through Steven skull. Pieces of his head and brain were panted back against the wheel where his head now stuck to it. Blood trickled down from the gun shot wound. Snacking its way between his eyes and sliding down his nose. They watched it drip away.

"Lovely." Biggs said looking at their art work.

"I had you in mind." Crazy Lace said turning to kiss her.

* * *

 _Jasper, Malachite, and PD came in the room next. They placed their umbrellas next to the door. Jasper looked to her best friend. Garnet shook her head and buried her face in her wife's shoulder. Jasper sighed looking to the bed and shook her head._

 _"Hey sis." Amethyst said walking up and hugging her sister._

 _"We would have been here earlier but she had to check Mal out of school." Jasper explained hugging her sister back._

 _"There's really no rush." Amethyst said sadly looking over to the bed. "We're just waiting on anyone else who wants to come by before we decide to do anything. It's better to say goodbye when a person is breathing even when they can't hear verses when they're no longer with us."_

 _"Mr. Greg." Mal said patting his thigh._

 _"Hi there Mal." Greg said pushing out the warmest greeting he had given anyone all day._

 _"Why is Uncle sleeping on that bed?" She asked him confused. "That's not his bed."_

 _Greg chuckled looking over at his son. "No it's not his bed."_

 _PD sighed. "Dammit." She excused herself from her sisters so she could go talk to her daughter. She crouched down to her daughter's level and took her hands. "Remember that cat mommy had when you were four?"_

 _"Yes Gemini. I miss him." Mal says pouting._

 _PD smiled softly looking back at her family and drawing strength. "And you remember how Gemini was hit by that car."_

 _"Yeah and mommy brought him inside and talked to him really quiet in the kitchen." Mal said nodding. She remembered how Jasper had cried after she put him in the ground later that day._

 _"She did and remember how she explained to you that Gemini had died and you didn't really know how what that meant." Mal nodded again. "So she explained that it meant that she was going to sleep and she would never wake up again."_

 _Mal had already turned back to the bed and PD waited for her to say something. "So that's what's happening to Uncle? We came to talk to him before he goes to sleep?" Mal asked looking at the ground._

 _"Yeah sweet he had an accident and ended up saving Connie's life." PD explained._

 _"But he couldn't save himself." The five year old whispered._

 _"No he couldn't baby." She said pulling her daughter into her arms. She gently shushed her rubbing her back. "It's ok sweetie. We came here just so we could say goodbye to him. Show him that he is surrounded by the people who love him."_

 _Mal made grabby hands at Jasper. Jasper walked over and kissed her forehead whispering comforting words to her like her wife. "I don't want him to go." Mal whimpered._

 _"None of us do honey but this is the only choice right now. Besides he's going to be reunited with his mommy." Mal shook her head and buried her face in PD's neck. Jasper sighed kissing her wife's cheek. PD kissed her forehead and slowly rocked them side to side._

 _Onion and Centi walked in slowly. "Sorry we're late but I had to find Onion." Centi said pointing to the teenager that walked over to Connie. He gave her a hug that she melted into before turning their attention to the bed._

 _"It's ok honey." Pearl said giving her a tight hug that she returned._

 _"Why don't you go say your goodbyes?" Garnet said guiding her to the bed with a hand on her back._

 _Centi froze in place with a wide eyed look on her face. Greg read the look right away and stood up motioning to his set. "We don't want to say goodbye either kido but it would make him happy to know that we did."_

 _Centi nodded as a few tears slipped down her face. She dropped in the seat with a lost look on her face. Connie leaned over and grabbed her hand giving it a squeeze. "We're all in this together." She said. Centi nodded though she was sure that they all felt alone right now._

* * *

Steven laughed bumping shoulders with his best friend Centi. "I swear I should have never spoke to you that day on the beach." He laughed dodging her elbow.

"Why because I'm so much cooler than you?" She said rolling her eyes. She flipped her green hair out of her face and he snorted.

"No because you're a dork." He said sticking out his tongue.

"Whatever." She said rolling her eyes. "When is Onion going to get here?"

"Oh he's already here. He should be waiting at the barn for us. Lapis told me he got here early." Steven told her as the barn came in sight.

"It's so weird that Lapis is a farmer. She doesn't look like it." Centi said looking at the crops.

"I know right. She doesn't look like a farmer but she really love all of this." He said gesturing with his hands. "She tells people all the time that this is what saved her life because she use to be depressed all the time and this turned it around."

Centi waved at their short friend as Onion ran over to them. "Took you long enough." He signed rolling his eyes.

"Shut up." Centi huffed. "I got lost on the way over here. The last time I was here Steven drove."

"Yeah yeah enough of your excuses." He said rolling her eyes. "Let's get this meteor party started."

"Onion did you bring the snacks?" Centi asked looking at his back pack.

"Yes." He signed rolling his eyes.

"Hey!" She pouted. "I can't help that I'm always hungry."

They sat up camp on the hill with blankets and spread the snacks around.

"How much longer will it be?" Onion signed passing Centi a bag of chips.

"Any moment now." Steven whispered staring up at the sky excitedly. The first meteor shot across the sky and a thousand followed.

"I wonder is Connie seeing all of this." Centi whispered amazed.

"I hope so. It's too good to miss out on." Steven whispered back and Onion nodded. They didn't want to risk talking any higher and having the moment ruined. In the next five minutes the meteor shower came to a stop.

"Well that was the highlight of my life for the next month." Centi said flopping back on the ground.

A loud growl came from behind them and they jumped. "Don't worry guys I'm sure it's just Pumpkin and Watermelon." Steven said as they turned around.

Pumpkin and Watermelon were covered in and Pumpkin dropped Peridots head from his mouth. It rolled a few feet from him and the three teenagers stood frozen.

"Run." Centi said grabbing their hands and taking off.

Onion stumbled and his hand slipped from Centi's hands. "Onion!" Steven yelled.

The two dogs jumped the short teenager ripping into his back and legs. Onion was mute so there were no screams. His emotions could be seen across his face. Until there was nothing there but realization that he was going to die. Watermelon ripped out his spine in one quick tug.

"Noo-"

"Steven let's go!" Centi said yanking him by the arm and pushing him in front of her. "Run he's dead!" She shouted.

The house and the cars came into view. The bodies of Lapis, Amethyst, and Peridot were littered in front of the house leading inside. Steven threw up as Centi ran to her car.

She yanked the door open. "Get in the car-"

Pumpkin attacked her from behind and they crashed into the car door ripping it off the hinges. Steven watched as the animal tore her head off. The sound of her bones snapping, breaking, crunching as it was bitten off echoing across the field. He turned to run to the road but Watermelon was there pacing back and forth. He jumped taking a couple of stumbling backwards. A snarl had him running off to the side until the two animals came in view. Watermelon licked at the blood dripping from Pumpkins jaws as he stared Steven down.

He glanced at the road and the two separated trotting around him. Taking a deep breath he took off for road. He only made it a three steps before one of them caught his shoulder and he went down twirling to the side, limbs flailing and the other caught one of legs. He screamed trying to push them off as they pulled at his body.

The one at his shoulder let him go but in the next second he found that he was missing four fingers from his left hand. He didn't have time to fully register it before teeth sunk back into his shoulder. His knee was the next thing to go. He screamed it is was pulled and pulled until it was ripped cleaned off.

A white figure appeared above him and for a moment he thought it was an angle coming to save him from this nightmare he was suddenly in. However when it opened its mouth to speak. Instead of a voice of silk and honey. Screeching was all he heard as its lips moved. His shoulder was released again and the dog moved to his ribs latching on and breaking them without much force. He gurgled on blood as part of his side was tore off. He died with a jerk as one of them ripped his heart out. It would have made no difference as he was going to bleed out very quickly.

* * *

 _There was a knock on the door and a nurse came in. She paused because there was more eyes on her than she was ready for. She swallowed and charged on though. She had a job to do. "Excuse me but there are quite a few people here. They're not family so we couldn't just let them walk in the room. Though they did say that they were friends of his." She explained._

 _Garnet smiled reassuringly at her. "Thank you. That is kind of why I fought for one of the biggest rooms you guys had. He seemed to make friends no matter where he went. He changed many people's lives most are people in this very room. So send them all in we've got the room." She said._

 _The nurse nodded opening the door and motioning with her hand. She held the door open for the next person as she existed the room. In came Buck, Sour cream, Jenny, Kiki, Lars, Saddie, Ronaldo, Peedee, Mayor Dewey, Mr. Smiley, Vidalia, Jamie, Kofi, and Nanefua. They spread out throughout the room. Most of them were wet from the rain or either already drying._

 _"Thank you all for coming. I'm sure he would be happy that all of you are here to support each other through this." Pearl said looking around the room._

 _Lars huffed shaking his head and Saddie gripped his hand a little tighter. "It's just like him to think of everyone else and not himself even on his death bed. Selfless till the end."_

* * *

The bag was yanked off his head and the bright light stung his eyes.

"Come on sun shine. Up and at em." A slap across his face is what had his eyes opening and blinking heavily against the light. "Good to have you back with me." She smiled at him ND he grimaced. She blew her cigarette smoke in his face and laughed as he coughed.

"Bismuth please I thought we were-"

"I thought we were to kid but this isn't about how close any of us are anymore. It's about betrayal and I'm going to get even. I'm going to show that you should never cross someone who held your back." She said rolling up her sleeves.

"It has nothing to do with me!" He yelled as she filled a bucket up with water.

"And that's precisely why it has to be you. Why not have you make up for their sins? Why not have them live and see what their choices did to you. I want this to stick. I want this to be more than a lesson. I want it to be burned into their eyes for the rest of their lives. I don't want them to see anything beyond this. So I'm going to use you to make me point. I'm going to use you to break them beyond repair." She said grabbing him by the ropes that were tied tightly around his body and dragged him over to them bucket. "I'm going to show them why you should never try to fuck with the grim ripper."

He saw the words _death all around_ tattooed on both of her forearms before his head was forced into the water. He thrashed and jerked and of course the water slashed out of the bucket and on to the floor. Spilling and wetting up her clothes a lot more than she planned so she pushed his head a little deeper. When she felt his movements slow a little she yanked him free and to his feet. He swayed on his feet gasping for air. She delivered a swift punch to his gut and he fell forward. She caught him though and righted him. She dragged him back and hooked his ropes on a hook. His feet barely reached the floor but it was enough to relieve the pressure of the ropes cutting into his skin.

A punch to his jaw had him seeing black dots and spitting out blood. Bismuth walked over to a tool box and pulled out a crowbar. She walked around to his back and slowly zeroed in on his lower back. She swung hard and hit even harder. His screams echoed off the walls as she found knew spots to strike at with the tool. When and only when it broke skin cutting across his shoulder blade did she let it clatter to the floor. He had fallen silent by then. The pain was numbing out and his voice was leaving him.

Bismuth tilted his head up by his chin and took a look into his eyes. She laughed at what she saw and let him go. She went back to the tool box and pulled out a pair of wire cutter. He looked on confused as she sat on the floor in front of him. She grabbed his shackled feet and pulled them into her lap.

"Did you know when you lose a toe that you have to learn how to walk again?" Her smiled grew feral when he caught on. A panic look caught up in a murderous one. She held on firmly to the chain in her hand as he tried to pull them away from her. "I wonder if you'll still be able to walk with no toes." She said sliding his big toe into the wire cutters.

He finally heard himself talking and not just feeling the movement of his chin. "No No No No No..."

She smiled wickedly up at him not wanting to miss a thing as she started to squeeze the tool. He closed his eyes screaming to the ceiling as the first toes was cut off. He had no more tears to cry as he begged her to stop. She didn't listen though as she moved on to next toe. Eight toes later and he was barely conscious. He couldn't even be concerned that she was walking to him with a needle. She yanked on the rope and his head flopped backward. The smell of burning flesh and blood still lingered in the air. He guessed that he should have been grateful that she burned the flesh so he wouldn't bleed out.

Bismuth took two drags of his cigarette and put it out against his throat. He groaned and tried to buck away from her but she head tight to the ropes enjoying his cries. She loved to see them flop around like a fish out of water. So helpless. So powerless. So easy for her to kill.

"This should help a little." She said jamming the needle into his chest without further explanation.

His heart felt like it was beating a mile a minute as she slipped on brass knuckles on both of her fist. The punches were as quick as they were hard and his head snapped from side to side. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Knee to the stomach. A punch to the ribs. Left. Left. Left. Left. Left. Left. Uppercut. Right. Left temple. Uppercut. Knee to the stomach. Knee to the stomach. Knee to the stomach. Punch to the throat...

Steven gagged throat trying to open back up to allow him to breath. His lip split even further and his nose was very broken. There was a gash close to his eye and blood had started to leak over his eyes. Half the room was covered in a red haze and OH...

That was his jaw breaking with a mumbled hiss. His jaw hung as another weight holding him down and she looked over her work approvingly.

She eased him down to a kneeling position and grabbed his wrist placing her foot in the middle of his back. She pulled his wrist and pushed with her foot. A horse scream left his body as he felt what she was doing. With sickening pops his shoulders were out of there sockets and his body had found more tears to cry.

"Oh no Steven." She said holding him up off the ground some. "This is." She said stomaching down on his knee and enjoying the snapping sound.

He choked on a sob turned scream as he was dragged back across the floor. His head was suddenly underwater again. The bucket was almost empty from their first adventure but he managed to gulp down a mouth full of water anyway. It was either drink the water or let it settle in his lungs.

Steven was hauled back to his feet and threw to the ground right before he inhaled the water. He heard something like a chair scrapping across the floor. In another moment he was swinging, dangling on the hook again. He was lifted a little higher this time. A roped was slipped over his neck after she guided him onto the chair. With the roped tightened around his neck she removed the hook. He looked down and saw that he had been right. Another chair was now sitting in front of the chair he was standing on. She took a sit and looked up at him just watching. They just stared at each other just looking.

"Maybe this could have been done a different way." She said breaking the silence but not the staring contest.

And Steven could see it in her eyes. See the way the sparkled. He saw the way she looked alive breaking him down. He knew that there was no other way. Especially if she had her way. This was the only way that she was willing to take.

"Maybe..."

A white figure was floating its way to him. He kept his eyes on it and swallowed hard against the rope around his neck.

"Maybe not." She shrugged. "We'll never know." And she kicked the chair away from under his feet.

She settle back in her seat and watched. He fought to keep breathing but it was getting harder and harder. The white figure hugged him close as his watery eyes slipped closed.

* * *

 _Pearl kissed her wife's cheek in silent encouragement. "Excuse me everyone." Pearl said getting the rooms attention. "Before we let the doctor know that we're ready there's something that my wife needs to say."_

 _Garnet swallowed thickly against the lump in her throat. "As most of you may already know, is that I was the one who pulled Steven from the water. I was the one who gave him CPR." She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. "And uh what you don't know is that while I sent Connie to flag down the ambulance. He came back for a second. He said-" She choked holding up a hand so she could get herself together. "He said its ok. It's ok mom. It's ok. He smiled one last time before he passed out. I think he knew that he was going to die and he was ok with it. He was ok with it so we don't have the right to not be ok with it."_

* * *

Steven opened his eyes and groaned. When his eyes adjusted to the room he grunted. Everyone was surrounding him. All his family and friends. He was so happy it felt like he was floating. He looked down and gasped sitting straight up. He was floating.

"What's going on?" He whispered amazed looking at his hands. A laugh had him jerking to the left with a flinch. "M-Mom?!"

The woman in white tilted her head regarding her son. "You don't remember?" She asked with a voice made from silk and honey.

He was going to question it before his memories came rushing back to him at once. "I died." He spoke after a moment looking down at his body on the bed.

"You're taking this surprisingly well." She commented.

He shrugged looking down at his heart. "I saved Connie and that's all that matters." He touched his chest remembering their break up right before the cliff collapsed. "All or nothing." He mumbled. "Besides I'm more worried about them." He swept his hands out over the room. "Some of them are barely holding themselves together."

Rose smiled. "I see they raised you better than I could hope for." She said smiling kindly.

He nodded. "Did you come all the way here to get me?" He asked. She nodded landing on the ground in the sea of people. "Why?" He asked confused. They were basically strangers to each other only knowing a name in passing.

"Because I'm a woman of my word." She said the edges around her blurring.

"What did you say?" He asked curious.

Her image flickered for a moment before she spoke. "I told them when I come back that I was going to be dragging my son to Hell with me."

* * *

 _When the doctor stepped into the room. There was a lot more positive energy than he had been expecting. "Family and friends of Steven Universe?" He asked and everyone nodded. "I assume everyone has had the chance to say their goodbyes."_

 _"Yes sir we have. It's time to let my son rest in peace." Greg said letting go of Steven's hand._

* * *

All the dreams that he had been experiencing since arriving at the hospital and the white figure were coming back to him.

"I had to break your spirit first and you are a strong one." Rose said her image flicking to the white figure that he was used to seeing. "But it was fun and Steven we do need to go."

"I'm not going anywhere with you." Steven spit out. He couldn't believe that his own mother had put him through that and that she was here to take him to Hell.

"I thought by now that you would have realized that you have no say in the matter." As she spoke a chain shot out of nowhere and wrapped around his chest forming a X. He fell to the floor with a grunt. "It's time to go." She said making her way out of the room and to the firey opening blazing where the door should be.

"NO!" He watched in horror as the doctor injected his IV with the fluid from the needle. "Mom! Mama! Dad!" He fought against the chains as they dragged him to the door to hell. "Somebody!" He cried reaching for anyone but he slipped right through him. "Help me!" He screamed as he felt the fire lapping at his feet. "Help me I don't want to die!" He shouted as his heart monitor stopped.

"Please." He begged.

He looked around in the room full of his love one. His friends. His family. The girl who held his heart. And no one saw him. No one heard him shouting their names. No one felt him reach for them. No one knew he was there and he wanted to live.

"Help me!" He shouted as the door closed and all was replaced with fire and Rose's screeching turned into a merry laugh as he was dragged along. "Please!"

* * *

 **Steven Universe**

 **1999-2017**

 _They had just buried Steven's body and the family was clearing out. The only was left behind to watch them fill the hole were his parents._

 _"I wish there was more that I could have done to save you." Garnet whispered watched the shoveled dirt block out the coffin._

 _"Lion hasn't left your room since we told him. I didn't want to at first because he's just a cat but Amethyst said that he had the right now because he was your cat." Pearl said with a sad laugh and shook her head. "He's not eating the special cat food that you bought for him. He's not eating at all actually. He's just lays down on your bed during the day and at night he lives but he comes back in the morning." She bit her lip thinking of telling the truth or not but being honest one out. "If it wasn't for your mother I don't think I would be any better than him. And if we didn't have each other we would probably both be in a similar state really."_

 _"Don't worry kido they're making sure I'm taking care of myself to. They're always calling now." Greg shrugged. "It's ok though. It's kind of nice to have someone to talk to. Now that I won't get to talk to you anymore. BUT! I promise I won't sit and waste away somewhere. I know you're up there watching and I would hate to disappoint." He sighed because the hole was almost filled. "Goodbye Steven. We love you."_

* * *

Rose stood laughing with some other demons on a pile of bones. "Didn't I tell you he would be great." She said shaking her head. She smiled watching her son fondly.

Steven was reaching for the heavens he'll never get to as hellhounds and demons pulled him in every which direction. All trying to to get a taste of him. They fought over each other over pieces of him. And when that happened he would crawl his way through the pile to the top as his body repaired it's self, grew back limbs that were ripped off, flesh grew back as well. When they noticed he was dragged back to the bottom and they went back to feasting on him. He didn't bother screaming anymore or fighting them off. He gave that up... Wll he doesn't know when he gave that up. It's been so long and he doesn't feel anything anymore. But his eyes spoke volumes and reflected more than the fires of Hell.

* * *

 _"Please."_

Notes:

So what did you guys think?  
This was a first for me and I played around a lot but I wanted to do something for Oct.


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